The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-08-10
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Notes on the Lesson for August
IL" The Beatitudes."

The lesson will DO found in the first sixteen
verses of the fifth chapter of Matthew. Time.
in the summer of A. ID. %, about year after
the event of the last lesson Place, Mount Of
Beatitude Horns of Hattin, near Capernaun.
See Special Mention.
SPECIAL MENTION.
ID. The Sermon on the Mount Place of It's
DeiiOery This is not known positively. Ac-
coriing 10 tradition IL Is the hill called Mount
of Beatltudes "a ridge not far from Tell Hum,
the site of Capernaum, about quarter of q
mile IN length, running east and west" STAN
ley, in speaking of u, says: -lhe situation 80
strIkingly comedies with the Intimauons OF
the Gospel narrative as almost to force the in
ference that III this instance the eye Bf those
who selected the spot was for once rightly
guided" Farrar describes IL as follows: 1T
Is a hill with summit which closely res1n-
b.es an Oriental saddle wi h its two high peaks.
On the west IL rises very little above the level
of broad and undulating PLAIN; on the east -
strikes precipitatey toward a plateau
which lies Immediately beneath the cliffs, uke
village of Hattin; and from this plateau the
traveller descends through a wild and troplc
gorge TO the shining levels of the Lake of
Galilee, 1t is the only conspicuous hill on the
western side of the lake, and 1t Is sngularly
adapted by its conformation both 10 form a
place for short retirement and rendezvous
for gathering multudes.
(2) Circumstances Of It's Deli0ery.
makes no mention OF the time OF Its delivery,
but Luke tells us precisely when II was spoken
Ii would appear that shortly after returning
10 Galilee from the Passover John 3: ID,
which marks the beginning of the second
year of his ministry, Jesus went out into
mountain TO pray, and continued all night in
prayer TO God" luke q: l2J. His first act
on the following morning WAS the appoint
ment Of the Twelve Apostles, their final or
formal ordination TO his service. With them
he descended from the peak, where at dawn
of day they had gathered about HIM, to the
plain below. vast multitude had gathered
awaiting his descent aud for some truHe he
occupied himself mnstering TO the sck
among them healing by the virtue thatNent
out OF him all who touched him. duke q:
1919 After an interval thus spent he went
back 10 the hill Matt D: d. not probably to
the highest point, where he had spent the
night but to slight eminence whence he
could overlook and address the multitude
(THe EIdminer.)
(3) It's Character The sermon has the
highest significance as setting forth the char
acter and aims of the coming "regn of
heaven" and its contrasts with the Jewish
law and with the reigning spirit and mexims
of that time among the Jews. The design is
10 set forth the principles Of the coming
kingdom; ITS spiritual character; its peculiar
power as an internal spiritual force, possess
ing the heart, and thence controlling the life;
and the code of morals that belongs 10 such
spiritual kingdom 1t therefore has IN
speakable value for all times, imparting a
knowledge Of the principles of the reign Of
Christ His first word is, Blessed" for
mercy is the great burden OF His mission He
comes among His people like a disguised
king, that He may pry out their wants and
catch them of their guard Presently He will
stand in the busy market-places challenging
false teachers; but before this He must give
full proof of His gracious ministry, so that
the people will feel safe in following him. In
His idea of blessed life, what a marvellous
union of the human and divine! A good lump
of heaven mixed in with the earth makes a
fine combination. Streaks of truth flashing
through our daily acts make life bright,
healthy and cheerful Noble deeds are like
wreaths of flowers bound about the brows
The words of Jesus are impulses forcing life
on into the narrow and heavenly ways.
standard Ecclesiastical Commentary
~ Its Purpose. We find in this discourse
a rule of life The Sermon on the Mount is
not code, TO BIS Analysed and exhibited as a
dry list of enactments; ii is Legislation ready
TO be incarnated in living man. 1t is thing
to be acted and breathed as well as read and
quoted Jesus OF Nazareth lived his wonder
tul discourse Nobody else ever did. But he
put it forth TO be lived by everybody under
the New Testament dispensation. We find
here likewise standard of spiritual and -
perimental attainment To be reached? No,
after steadiest and most prayerful study we
are forced to the conclusion that the standard
is exhibited in order to let us know we cannot
reach it; that is, TO show us what il is that
God demands of all his creatures which fall
en- men and women cannot possibly meet
Hence, 1t would seem as If its purpose must
have been to convince every human beng of
sin hopelessly: snow we know that what
things soever the law saith, it saith to them
who are under the law: that every mouth
may be stopped, and all the world NAV be-
come guilty before God" Robinson
(5J Compared U3th tie Lar. The most care
less reader has probably been struck with the
contrast between the delivery of the sermon
and the delivery Of the law on Sinai We
think of that as u fiery law" whose promul-
CATION is surrounded by the imagery of thun-
ders and lightnings and the voice of the trum-
pet sounding long and waxing louder and
louder. We think of this as flowing forth i'm
dlvincst music and all the calm and lowell
ness of the clear and quiet dawn. That came
dreadfuly to the startled conscience from an
unseen presence, shrouded by wreathing
clouds and destroying fire and eddyng
smoke this was uttered by n sweet human
voice that moved the heart most gently in
words of peace. (Farrar) Jesus bad two
objects in this Sermon on the Mount" first,
to correct the Misrepresentation of his enc
mics, who thought him an opposer of the
Mosaic law, and secondly, to correct the
worldly notions which the people held with
regard TO the nature of the Messiah's kingdom
The one must learn that the kingdom of God
spiritual kingdom, not a kingdom of
earthly pomp and splendor; the other must
learn that the righteousness which the law re-
quired was not the outward service of rites
and FORMS but the inward service of the
heart The proclamation of himself as atcl-
ing Savior finds almost no place in the Ser
mon on the Mount, and appears only at a
later period of Jesus ministry, when the peo-
pie were better prepared 10 receive it
TOPIC AND OUTLINE
The passage furnishes a good description
OF the disciples of Christ. We see O) the
characteristics of true disciples W.. 1-9: C2)
the blessedness of true disciples, namely a
spiritual blessedness, character blesseslness
a faith bessedness, timely and suitable
blessedness, a complete blessedness Tvs 1-9;
C3) the persecution Of true disciples Tvs 1O-12);
az the missions OF true disciples tvs 1876
But the verses also suggest or imply many of
the laws of the spiritual life. For example
we find Q) the law of the mission spirit and
movement-the example Of Christ w.. |, q:
~ the law Of the heavenly inheritance
humility ". 81; C3) the law OF spiritual COM
pensation-good ont of i'll w. Ak az the law
of spiritual conquest and po-session-weak-
ness and self-control w. 81; 6) the
law Of spiritual growth and attain
ment - intense desire ". 6); (0 the
law OF spiritual investment and acquisition
like produces like ". ~; (7) the law of spirit
ual vision and knowledge-purity OF heart ".
-; o. the law OF spiritual latonship aud of
the divine family-a forgIving and helpful